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Agent on Ravens delaying Joe Flacco deal: 'I've never seen a dumber move'

Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco signed a six-year, $120-million deal in March, but his agent says the team could have saved $35 million by completing the deal a year earlier. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

The Baltimore Ravens dedicated most of their money to re-signing quarterback Joe Flacco this offseason, while several key players left for bigger contracts elsewhere.

According to Flacco's agent, though, the team could have had plenty of money to spend had they signed Flacco earlier.

Agent Joe Linta told USA Today's Jim Corbett that the Ravens had a chance to ink their quarterback to a five-year deal worth about $85 million in August 2012, but adding an extra $1 million to the final year proved to be a sticking point.

From the report:

Flacco's agent, Joe Linta, told USA TODAY Sports that such perceptions are misguided because the Ravens had the chance to provide their own cap relief last August when Flacco walked away from a five-year extension that would have averaged $16 million a year, including last year's $6.7 million left on his rookie contract.

The impasse could have been averted had the Ravens stepped up over what Linta said was an extra $1 million in the final year.

The dispute was about "$1 million six years from now, in the base salary non-guaranteed money, and they walked away," Linta said. "It cost them $35 million. So I have no sympathy. None.

"I've never in my life seen a dumber move. I guess people can say, 'Well, Joe was dumb, too.' It could have been (dumb), God forbid, if he got hurt. But $1 million to Steve Bisciotti six years from now? That's like 100 bucks for you or me today.''

Linta added that he expects the Ravens to be forced to restructure Flacco's deal once his salary-cap figure increases to $28.55 beginning in 2016.